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Springsteen fundraising opportunity for classic theaters

I want to share with you a project Emerging is involved with that is raising funds for classic theatres to join our digital cinema network, Emerging Cinemas. See http://www.emergingpictures.com/bruce.htm for additional details. Bruce is an old friend from the Jersey shore and really loves these classic venues when he played them in the early ‘70s when he was too big for clubs, not ready for arenas or stadiums. He also really understands the values they contribute to communities that save them, for the economic stimulation they can give to a “reborn” downtown commercial district as well as having a common meeting space. He’s long been a supporter of community based activities, enjoys independent thought and independent films, and wants to help historic theaters be able to help themselves by joining Emerging’s cultural center digital cinema network.

Please also advise if you have any information on which actual theaters Bruce visited during that historic run.

Comments (7)

I’m sure there were many such theatres on Bruce’s concert tours in the ‘70’s, but I know for sure of two local venues that were former cinemas: the Passaic Capitol and the [/theaters/1301/]Palladium/Academy of Music[/url] in NYC.

It’s probably too late to qualify as “early” in his career, but Springsteen played the Chicago Uptown Theater 9/6/78, 10/10/80, and 10/11/80.

It would be really cool to do a fundraising screening at a nearby theater like the Music Box, seeing that I don’t think the Riviera would work (right up the street, but no seats) nor, sadly, the Uptown itself.

He famously performed at the Harvard Square Theatre in Cambridge in 1974, opening for Bonnie Raitt. After Jon Landau of Cambridge’s weekly The Real Paper saw him there, he wrote “I saw rock and roll future and its name is Bruce Springsteen”, Unfortunately, the Harvard Square has since been multiplexed and is no longer a suitable venue for live performances.

In 2003, Springsteen performed two benefit concerts for DoubleTake magazine at the Somerville Theatre, about a mile and a half from Harvard Square. The Somerville was and remains today a very active and successful venue for both movies and live concerts. Sadly, the concerts did not ultimately save DoubleTake, which folded soon afterwards.

Bruce Springsteen played the Roxy Theatre in Northampton Pennsylvania on November 29, 1974. At that time the Roxy featured a series of concerts by then relatively unknown artists including Springsteen, Billy Joel and Fleetwood Mac.

The Roxy still hosts the occasional concert in addition to live plays and daily film showings. They just had a concert a couple of months ago featuring Leon Redbone.